British Club Invites Muslims to Perform Eid al-Adha Prayers on Pitch
“We are proud to announce that, once again, we will be opening the doors at Ewood Park to our Muslim community to host the Eid-Ul-Adha prayer on Saturday July 9th,” the Blackburn Rovers said in a post on Friday.
The Eid prayers will take place at 9.30am prompt and people are asked to be at the stadium for no later than 9am.
According to the club, ‘Eid @ Ewood Park’ is open to people and families of all ages, with provisions in place for both men and women to pray on the pitch. Those who attend are asked to bring their own prayer mat with them.
Rovers became the first football club in the UK to host Eid prayers at their stadium on May Bank Holiday. The first Eid celebrated in May marked the end of Ramadan.
Last year, the same club invited Muslim fans wishing to perform evening prayer on match days to use prayer facilities at its stadium.
The prayer room opened at Ewood Park in 2018 to provide existing staff and supporters with a quiet space for prayer and reflection.
Praise
Many people have taken to social media to express their delight at Blackburn Rovers’ decision to host Eid prayers.
While some comments criticized the decision, many fans defended the club’s outreach initiative.
Eid Al-Adha, or “Feast of Sacrifice”, is one of the two most important Islamic celebrations, together with Eid Al-Fitr.
It begins with special prayers to mark the day, Muslims then offer udhiyah, a ritual that commemorates the great act of sacrifice Prophet Ibrahim and his son Isma`eel were willing to make for the sake of Allah.
Festivities and merriment then start with visits to friends and relatives.
Source: About Islam
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